Road Trip - suggestions please

Ranjo

Planning a one day out, one day back road trip later this month, early sept. Aiming to keep to 150 km per day. Want to stay off major roads without space for cyclists and some scenery would be great.

Browsing around Google maps bit some suggestions and inspiration would be appreciated.

Trip is three of us, decent experience level.

Bloggsie

what is your start point, is it set in stone or can you relocate it?

Ranjo

Bloggsie wrote: »

what is your start point, is it set in stone or can you relocate it?

Ah yeah good question. Starting from sth Dublin. It is locked in.

smacl

Taking the small back roads from Dublin to Mt Leinster is a nice spin with plenty of scenery depending on the route you take. Depends how lumpy you want it but I normally go via Sally gap, Laragh, Rathdrum, Aughrim, Tinahely, Shilelagh, Bunclody, and up to the nine stones. I stay with family down that neck of the woods but there are plenty of places to stay. Another, if you've the bike for it would be to take the a long canal run.

Chuchote

Interesting question: is it possible to draw a 150km circle around a point in south Dublin on Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc?

Edit: begob, it is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85YgVXCk3Y (how-to)


http://obeattie.github.io/gmaps-radius/?radiusInput=150&unitSelector=km&lat=53.4879&lng=-6.562443&z=8&u=km&r=150

Seaswimmer

I did South Dublin to Dungarvan recently with a stop in Enniscorthy.

Coast Road to Wicklow (Bray, Kilcoole, Newcastle). Coast Road to Arklow then a mixture of side roads and N11 to Enniscorthy.

From Enniscorthy quiet R roads to the ferry at Ballyhack and cross over to Passage East then along the coast road to Tramore and Dungarvan

Its a bit over your target at 200kms but you could go as far as Tramore.

With this route you can also go via Roundwood, Laragh as someone else suggested and end up in the Enniscorthy area as well

Or via Rathdrum, Avoca, Woodenbridge and Arklow..

Chuchote

The trouble is finding a route that has both a nice destination and a pleasant way to get there. For instance, Fermanagh's lakes are only gorge, but the cycle there is both dull and infested with insane drivers.

Bloggsie

okey doke, I did a googlemaps search from Dun Laoghaire Tain Station as a your start point to Bray>Wicklow>Arklow>Gorey> Courtown>Kilmuckridge>Blackwater>Wexford>Rosslare.

150kms via the coast road & N11. Happy trails.

smacl

Chuchote wrote: »

The trouble is finding a route that has both a nice destination and a pleasant way to get there. For instance, Fermanagh's lakes are only gorge, but the cycle there is both dull and infested with insane drivers.

I reckon once you get out of the city you can find scenic routes to get to most placed, but they're longer and on many of the l-roads lumpier and a bit slower as a result. Distance cycled isn't always a great measure of work or effort, so while I'd tend to hold about 25kph over 100k on flattish R-roads, that would drop to 20kph for lumpier l-roads with some climbs thrown in and be more work.

Backroads to Kilmore Quay is also a nice spin with the chance of a dip in the ocean to finish it off. Lots of similar cycle to the beach options up and down the east coast.

Chuchote

smacl wrote: »

I reckon once you get out of the city you can find scenic routes to get to most placed, but they're longer and on many of the l-roads lumpier and a bit slower as a result. Distance cycled isn't always a great measure of work or effort, so while I'd tend to hold about 25kph over 100k on flattish R-roads, that would drop to 20kph for lumpier l-roads with some climbs thrown in and be more work.

Backroads to Kilmore Quay is also a nice spin with the chance of a dip in the ocean to finish it off. Lots of similar cycle to the beach options up and down the east coast.

OTOH, some country folks (those Dukes of Hazzard types with a tanned right arm from hugging the driver's-side door shut with their elbow) can drive like maniacs on those little roads, confident a) that they won't meet cyclists, b) if they do, sure what the hell, and c) that they own these roads.

Bloggsie

Seaswimmer wrote: »

I did South Dublin to Dungarvan recently with a stop in Enniscorthy.

Coast Road to Wicklow (Bray, Kilcoole, Newcastle). Coast Road to Arklow then a mixture of side roads and N11 to Enniscorthy.

From Enniscorthy quiet R roads to the ferry at Ballyhack and cross over to Passage East then along the coast road to Tramore and Dungarvan

Its a bit over your target at 200kms but you could go as far as Tramore.

With this route you can also go via Roundwood, Laragh as someone else suggested and end up in the Enniscorthy area as well

Or via Rathdrum, Avoca, Woodenbridge and Arklow..

i have driven the other way from Waterford City out to Passage, Ballyhack and across to Duncannon, some fantastic scenery around there, a few bodies out cycling as well.

Ranjo

Chuchote wrote: »

Interesting question: is it possible to draw a 150km circle around a point in south Dublin on Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc?

Edit: begob, it is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85YgVXCk3Y (how-to)


http://obeattie.github.io/gmaps-radius/?radiusInput=150&unitSelector=km&lat=53.4879&lng=-6.562443&z=8&u=km&r=150

Great tool, very handy!. Love that I can get to Holyhead too. Might need some floaties on the bike too!

smacl wrote: »

I reckon once you get out of the city you can find scenic routes to get to most placed, but they're longer and on many of the l-roads lumpier and a bit slower as a result. Distance cycled isn't always a great measure of work or effort, so while I'd tend to hold about 25kph over 100k on flattish R-roads, that would drop to 20kph for lumpier l-roads with some climbs thrown in and be more work.

Backroads to Kilmore Quay is also a nice spin with the chance of a dip in the ocean to finish it off. Lots of similar cycle to the beach options up and down the east coast.

Good point. I was thinking we'd be averaging 25-30k, but honestly the trip is going to be a bit more casual, so prob drop a good bit.

Seems to be a lot of responses pointing south (Dungarvan, Kimmore Quay, Rosslare) which is what I was thinking. I spent the long weekend at Kilmore Quay, so might actually keep this direction in mind. Exact end destination might change yet.

thanks kindly everyone for your values input. When the route is sorted. I will let you all know.

smacl

Chuchote wrote: »

OTOH, some country folks (those Dukes of Hazzard types with a tanned right arm from hugging the driver's-side door shut with their elbow) can drive like maniacs on those little roads, confident a) that they won't meet cyclists, b) if they do, sure what the hell, and c) that they own these roads.

I've been pretty lucky so far in that case, as I'd do the bulk of my cycling on l-roads and had no issues. Most of the l-roads in South Wicklow, Wexford, and Carlow have minimal traffic. Could well be different in other areas, and I've no experience of cycling in the North and North West. From my experience, Boss Hogg and the good ol' boys tend to tear around the r-roads and n-roads.

Chuchote

smacl wrote: »

From my experience, Boss Hogg and the good ol' boys tend to tear around the r-roads and n-roads.

Could you possibly show what L, R and N roads look like on a map? I try for little country roads where possible, but am rusty on mapreading.

Ranjo, another advantage of the Dungarvan route is that you have the wind at your back coming home (usually).

smacl

Chuchote wrote: »

Could you possibly show what L, R and N roads look like on a map? I try for little country roads where possible, but am rusty on mapreading.

L-roads are old link roads, often in bad nick, where two cars can barely squeeze by and the white line is often replaced by grass. e.g. the l-8339 running parallel to the N81 taking you from Ballymore Eustace to Startford on Slaney is a lovely cycling road. On some mapping apps you have to zoom in to see them.


R-roads are faster, wider and tend to have some road markings, e.g. the R756 from Dunlavin to Hollywood.


In my experience, l-roads are the most scenic, largely traffic free and pretty safe, though they often have rough surfaces and some surprising gradients. I favour l-roads where possible.

Ranjo, another advantage of the Dungarvan route is that you have the wind at your back coming home (usually).

+1 on this, cycling back from South Wexford on the right windy day can be a pure joy.

ford2600

smacl wrote: »

In my experience, l-roads are the most scenic, largely traffic free and pretty safe, though they often have pretty rough surfaces and some pretty surprising gradients. I favour l-roads where possible.QUOTE]

I've never cycled much in Wicklow but recently followed a lovely road from Kiltegan, Glen Of Imall and out your road at Donard. Made for the bike and why you would choose to ride N81, I'll never know.

Usually finding quitter roads is easy enough and you are usually just moving bridges. The l roads are often the older roads now replaced by a newer route once a bigger bridge was built and a bit of rock got blown out.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@51.7216575,-8.8988912,12z

Pretty good example here between Dunmanway and Bandon, where you are effectively following Bandon river, but there is a lovely alternative route south of river from Ballynacarriag. A little lumpier of course



The bad surfaces are a benefit I find as cars won't used them and if they do travel slowly.

smacl

ford2600 wrote: »

The bad surfaces are a benefit I find as cars won't used them and if they do travel slowly.

Wider tyres and a robust bike don't hurt either. Not necessary, but certainly makes longer days more of a pleasure than a grind.

cdaly_

Check out some of the routes on http://audaxireland.org. They tend to be scenic, long and follow nice quiet roads.

A couple of 300k routes starting from dublin:
The Six Megaliths is a tour of megalithic sites in Co Meath.
The Dying Sow is an altogether hillier beast ranging down through the Wicklow mountains and south to Bunclody via Mount Leinster

Bloggsie

Ranjo wrote: »

Great tool, very handy!. Love that I can get to Holyhead too. Might need some floaties on the bike too!




Good point. I was thinking we'd be averaging 25-30k, but honestly the trip is going to be a bit more casual, so prob drop a good bit.

Seems to be a lot of responses pointing south (Dungarvan, Kimmore Quay, Rosslare) which is what I was thinking. I spent the long weekend at Kilmore Quay, so might actually keep this direction in mind. Exact end destination might change yet.

thanks kindly everyone for your values input. When the route is sorted. I will let you all know.

take some photos, there is a thread you can post them on!

Bloggsie

take some photos, there is a thread you can post them on!

smacl

cdaly_ wrote: »

Check out some of the routes on http://audaxireland.org. They tend to be scenic, long and follow nice quiet roads.

A couple of 300k routes starting from dublin:
The Six Megaliths is a tour of megalithic sites in Co Meath.
The Dying Sow is an altogether hillier beast ranging down through the Wicklow mountains and south to Bunclody via Mount Leinster

Enjoyed the Dying Cow a few years but the Sow is probably a pig to far for this humble cyclist. Planning on a solo run of the Ardattin 200 at some point before the days shorten too much, but don't know if I've the legs (or arse) for a 300 this year.

Carawaystick

smacl wrote: »

In my experience, l-roads are the most scenic, largely traffic free and pretty safe, though they often have rough surfaces and some surprising gradients. I favour l-roads where possible.

There's a large variation in roads and the type (National [Primary/Secondary], Regional, Local) is no indicator of the state of the road

the R132

R341


L1390

N20

ford2600

Carawaystick wrote: »

There's a large variation in roads and the type (National [Primary/Secondary], Regional, Local) is not 100% of the time an accurate indicator of the state of the road.

Typically though it is a good indicator, with traffic volume, road width increasing as one moves from l to R to N

QUOTE]

FYP

smacl

Carawaystick wrote: »

There's a large variation in roads and the type (National [Primary/Secondary], Regional, Local) is no indicator of the state of the road

Once you're outside suburbia and major conurbations, in my experience most l-roads tend to be very small and lightly trafficked. The state varies for sure, so it is often pot luck, but personally I'm a big fan of the run down overgrown bohereens that are common enough and primarily l-roads.

Ranjo

Just an update as someone suggested, had a rethink on the long trip and just did am out & back today. Main reason for change was added logistics to bring clothes and stiff for staying overnight.

Headed up to sally gap from enniskerry via glencree. It was all climb for the first while, then cruisy all the way to Laragh.

Had a feed/cuppa in the favourite glendalough coffee shop then back via round wood and enniskerry.

90k all up, 1150m climb, modest 23kph avg speed.

Would have loved to do the road trip, and keeping the idea on the backburner for me & my son.